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Beat the Heat: Stay Hydrated and Wear Sunblock

Date Published:

July 1st, 2015

Now that summer has arrived, the weather’s getting warmer and humidity is increasing. That means fun in the sun, tanning, and working on that summer body. What we can’t forget while we are out having a blast is to be safe and protected. In other words: STAY HYDRATED and BE SAFE FROM THE SUN.

How do you know if you are dehydrated or not? Rule #1: If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. So make sure your water intake is consistent throughout the day. Other signs are: cracked lips, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, dry sticky mouths, dizziness and dark-yellow urine.

DID YOU KNOW:

Water makes up roughly 60% of your body weight.

Water is non-caloric, it plumps up your skin, and it hydrates your muscles (Win-Win!). It was said that “Rule of Thumb: eight glasses of water per day is the amount you should drink to stay hydrated.” Yes, this is a good guideline to follow, but it may seem discouraging and overwhelming. Here’s the secret: approximately 20% of our daily H20 intake is from the food we eat!

The following foods have a high water content, will change your life, and boost flavor to your meals:

Besides food and water, there are other drinks that can keep you hydrated. Myth has is that coffee and tea will soak up all of your water. FALSE: coffee and tea act as diuretics pulling a little extra fluid from your body and actually are very healthy on a dose of 200-300 mg per day. However, surpassing this dosage on a prolonged period can cause dehydration. So just make sure you’re not drinking five cups a day. Coconut water is another great alternative that’s low in carbs and rich in potassium. It’s very effective with light workouts.

Sport drinks, like Gatorade, are packed with sugar and sodium but can bring your body back to balance faster than water can after a gruelingly intense workout. It contains carbs and electrolytes that can increase your energy and help your body absorb water. For shorter workouts, however, sport drinks are an excessive amount of carbs that you don’t need. You can be the judge of this. One of my favorites are MIY (Make It Yourself) smoothies. What is more refreshing than blending up your favorite fruits and veggies?

As well as the optimal choices, there are drinks that you should avoid when dehydrated. Alcohol, our adult beverage of choice, is a perfect example. Have you ever had a bad headache the next morning after a long night of drinking? This is because you were dehydrated! Alcohol causes cells to shrink which squeeze out the extra water. This is the reason for all your trips to the “safe haven” to deplete your natural body’s water stores. So just remember: if you don’t want that headache, one hand holds your drink and the other water! Other drinks to avoid are juices and sodas. They’re purely sugar with an excess amount of calories that no one ever needs.

We must not forget about safety from the sun, or in other words: SUNBLOCK. It’s recommended to apply sunblock daily to prevent a variety of health problems, namely melanoma and skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer found in the US which is directly caused by exposure to ultraviolet lights. Merely 15 minutes to sun exposure can damage your skin. We all want beautiful skin, don’t we? Including sunscreen in your daily routine can truly protect yourself from wrinkles, sun spots, premature aging, and skin cancer. Any sunblock is better than none. But if you want the real deal, try and get at least sunblock with a SPF of 30 or higher, water resistant and blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Don’t forget to reapply every two hours!

Summer time is all about being out and about, being adventurous and bold, and getting in that nice tan. Don’t forget that along with all of this fun, health still comes first! Stay hydrated and stay soaked up in sunblock while you’re out in our lovely home of sunny San Diego. This way, you will enjoy the most of your time outdoors instead of being sad and lonely inside with sunburns and headaches.